Agnessi lives in a small village in Mozambique with her husband and their five children. Life used to be tough for them. Agnessi tried hard to make ends meet through subsistence farming, but the income was never enough. Selling crops didn’t bring in much money, and buying seeds for the next season was always a struggle.

Things started to change when Agnessi joined a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) through World Renew’s local partner, ESPANOR. This local community banking group played a crucial role in teaching Agnessi how to save money and provided her with a low-interest loan to start a business. Most importantly, it gave her new hope and new opportunities.

“My life has noticeably improved,” Agnessi says. She was able to open a small shop, which not only provides a steady income, but also helps her community by offering groceries close to home. Now, she can afford school supplies for her children and no longer worries about buying seeds for planting.

Agnessi is grateful for the support and the positive changes the VSLA brought to her life. “My business continues to grow,” Agnessi shares. “I am thankful to the VSLA for enabling the ‘birth’ of my shop. I thank God for opening my mind and leading me to join a VSLA. I pray that other members of my community will get a chance like I did to join a VSLA so that their lives can change for the better too!”

Learn more about how World Renew provides better economic opportunities for people like Agnessi.